


Until the Very End

by ObscureReality (Khellamendra)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Masturbation, Minor Violence, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 17:54:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20119186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khellamendra/pseuds/ObscureReality
Summary: Determined to escape the future laid out for him, Keith runs away from home to join the most illustrious military academy in the country. It's there he meets the famous and very handsome Takashi Shirogane, star of the Galaxy Garrison.Once he finds out the truth about Keith it seems like it's all over but Shiro has more than a few secrets himself and a desire for more than the life he's been handed. Even though they know it would be forbidden the pair add one more secret to that list.  When Shiro suddenly disappears it seems the world is willing to give up on him but Keith knows that he's out there somewhere, in trouble.Luckily he has the craziest class in the Garrison to back him up. They'll need each other if they're going to make it through this journey.





	1. A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inkbadger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkbadger/gifts).

> This is my fic for the Sheith flower Exchange on Tumblr. This idea started off simple and then blossomed (no pun intended) into this monster. 
> 
> I actually used a couple of their flowers through the Willow (Forsaken) wasn't used for Keith and Shiro but still applies to the plot. The Clematis (Mental beauty, Art) was. 
> 
> I'm not super sure what Wingfics fully entail but I figured fantasy made sense. Hopefully. I also may have combined a couple of prompts excluding one because it just didn't fit anywhere. Lastly, it is un-betaed and I was super tired when I wrote parts of it. I'll try to catch them later but apologies in advance.

Waiting was boring.

The sun hadn’t even appeared when they had left their house for the train station. She slept on the way over but now as the sun started to peek over the horizon she was awake. Small hands tugged at her mother’s robes. “Is the train still coming?”

The woman smiled at petted her head. “Of course it is, Dear One.”

Feline ears perked up at the words. The child leaned forward on the bench, looking both ways down the tracks. She pouted. “When?”

“Very soon I promise. Here.” Opening the book in her lap, the woman whispered a few words. Holding her hand out, a small glossy orb appeared. Small fuzzy ears perked up again, tail swishing back and forth as yellow eyes locked onto the orb. 

Flipping the orb upward, the woman moved her hand away. The orb fell to the ground and the little girl let out a soft gasp. Instead of shattering, it bounced against the hard ground as if made of jelly. Clapping happily, she reached out to grab it before it could fall again. Laughing she mimicked her mother, letting it bounce more and more. 

Catching on a crack in the platform, the orb went skittering away. With a soft cry, the girl ran after it, robes fluttering behind her. 

“Falx be careful! Don’t wander too far!” her mother called after her. The girl didn’t slow down, dodging the few other patrons lingering around the small countryside station. 

Stopping suddenly, she watched helplessly as her toy headed towards the broken-down building. It rolled through a gap in the boards and into the darkness. Standing on tiptoes, she leaned against one of the broken boards as she tried to peer into the darkness. A sharp squeal escaped lips when the board cracked, almost pitching herself toward. Dust kicked up and she backed up quickly, tail tucked close to her body. 

Turning to leave, her lip trembled at the loss. An ear twitched at the soft sound, stopping when she felt something bump up against her foot. Bending down, she picked up the small orb in both of her hands, turning it over and making sure it wasn’t cracked. Looking up, she smiled brightly, tail swishing back and forth. 

“Thank you!”

“Falx, what are you doing?” her mother called out. Frowning, she started to get up. 

The young kit pointed into the abandoned structure. “Mama, I found a bird!” 

Shaking her head, the woman sat back down with a smile. “Well leave it be. It probably has a nest in there.” Her ears twitched at the sound of a whistle. “Come now, the train is about to be here.” 

“Coming!” Running back towards her mother, she paused and looked back towards the darkness. “Train’s coming Mr. Bird.” With that, she ran back towards her mother, childish laughter filling the morning air. 

Amethyst eyes watched the young girl run off, glancing back and forth before pulling back. Hands smoothed over black hair, fixing it back into a low ponytail. Closing his eyes, he exhaled slowly and willed wings to disappear before pulling on the long red and white jacket. Looking into a cracked piece of polished glass, he checked the red marks on both cheeks. Satisfied, he picked up the bag and carefully glanced around again. 

The whistle of the train sounded again as he carefully stepped out of the abandoned building, brushing himself off. Joining the small throng of people, he slung the pack over his shoulder and stepped onto the train. 

Eyes flitted back and forth, scanning the area. It looked like the normal fair, nothing stood out as out of place or raised any alarms. It didn’t mean he was going to let his guard down. He had come too far to mess it up now.

There weren’t many passengers in this particular car or the train in general. The station had been enough out of the way to only provide a handful of new passengers. The ones already on were mostly asleep or looked like they wanted to be. Quickly he picked out a spot near the doors, ignoring everyone else in favor of looking out the window. Fingers held tightly to his bag, starting to uncurl until someone passed in his field of vision. 

He tried not to frown at the elderly elf as she sat in front of him. The way long white hair cascaded around her reminded him of the Weeping Willow tree back home. To anyone else, he could easily pass for an elf himself as long as he remembered to paint the marks on his face. He supposed now was the time to test if he could pass around others. If not he would never make it. 

Keeping his bag in his lap, he tensed when the train lurched before moving forward. A chuckle sounded in front of him and he chanced a look to see her staring at him, amusement on her wrinkled face. “Not use to trains I take it?” 

The young man grimaced. “That obvious?” 

The scenery started to rush passed and he couldn’t help but want to be outside instead of on the train. Feeling the wind in his hair and against his face. Something like that was far too dangerous but eventually, he would be able to. He just had to be patient and it would be worth it in the end. 

His companion chuckled again. “Perhaps a small bit. Not big on people either, are you? Although,” She set her bag next to her on the seat. “If we look as if we are traveling together, you’re less likely to get another person disturbing you.” She said, looking at him with amusement. When he followed her example she smiled softly. “My name is Honerva. What’s your name young one?” 

“Keith. I’m headed to the Galaxy Garrison Military Academy.” He spoke up before he could stop himself, surprised at how easily he gave up the information. 

A white brow went up at the name. “I should have guessed. You seem like the type that would find purpose in a military academy. I’m sure you’ll do well, Keith. I can still remember my time at the academy. Even though that was a very long time ago.” Her laugh was infectious, bringing a smile to his face. From the way she was dressed, she wasn’t from anywhere around here and he couldn’t help but say as such. 

Talking to her felt so easy and he learned she was from much further north and was headed to the stop just after his. The Garrison hadn't been for her, she told him, and she had eventually left to pursue her research and live her life her way. The way she spoke was so calming that Keith hadn’t even realized he dozed off until someone shook him awake. 

Jumping, he stood up and pressed himself against the window. His hand lingered near the small of his back, ready to grab the blade hidden there. The porter seemed just as startled but recovered faster. Clearing his throat, he held out his hand. “Ticket and identification, if you please.” 

Purple eyes settled on the display held in hands, catching the words scrolling by. Glancing up at the impatient face, fingers dropped slightly to slip into a back pocket. Pulling out both, he held them between two fingers, crossing his arms when they were taken. Leaning against the window casually he watched as the man handed them to the small catlike creature he hadn’t noticed on a shoulder until then. Keith’s heart skipped a beat. 

Vericats looked as if they were made from shadows and given feline form. Long pointed ears twitched as tiny paws turned his ticket around, looking for any deception or discrepancy. They required a large amount of magic summon and skill to control. Not exactly something your everyday porter should have had.

Glowing eyes faded into a soft blue and it emitted a soft purr as it offered the ticket back. Keith thought of all the different ways he could escape as the porter handed his identification to the creature. He should have known better than to take a train. Of course, they would think to look for him there. Maybe if he had just gone to another station, he could have caught a different train. He was fairly certain more than one went to the same station but it didn’t matter now. They were going to know the identification crystal was fake and he was going to get dragged back home if he was lucky. 

The creature purred again and offered the crystal back to its handler. “Please enjoy your trip Mr. Kogane,” he said with a smile, holding the items out to Keith. “Sir?” Honerva cleared her throat, snapping him back to the present. Taking both he nodded. 

“Thanks.” Sitting down quickly, he shoved both into his pocket. 

The elf watched the porter walk away before leaning in. “You looked as if you were expecting a different outcome.”

Sometimes you never know if you can trust people.” He muttered, staring out the window again. He was tense for most of the trip though grateful that she hadn’t pushed the subject. His mind reeled with questions on how the Vericat had been fooled. The person he had bought the identification crystal had sworn by their work but Keith had still been skeptical. Maybe he owed that man more than he had anticipated.

He nibbled on the food he brought, sharing one of his sandwiches with his traveling companion. In return, she shared some of her food when the sun was heading towards the trees. Keith wasn’t entirely sure what it was but it tasted amazing and the drink was cool and sweet. He felt guilty but she had assured him it was alright. Eyes grew heavy as they watched the stars start to appear. Having a full stomach helped sleep come much easier and he was surprised just how refreshed he felt when he woke up.

_Attention all passengers, we are now arriving in Terra. Next stop is Krell, Krell. Please make sure to collect all belongings before exiting. Thank you for traveling with us._

“I suppose this is where we part ways then,” Honerva said with a smile. 

“I guess so. Are you going to be okay on your own?”

She waved him off. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve made this journey a thousand times over. You’re the one about to embark on a brand new one. Good luck, Keith. I’m sure, we’ll meet again.”

Taking in a deep breath, he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Thanks for riding with me. It actually made this whole thing easier. See you around.” 

Stepping off the train, he looked around at the bustling platform. Even this late it had significantly more people all hurrying to get to their destinations. “Look, mama, the bird made it too!” 

“Oh my Dear One, it must be another one. There is no way that bird would have flown all this way, much less beaten us here. Come on now.” Ducking his head, Keith walked quickly towards the exit as the little girl protested. Stepping into the sun, he winced at the brightness, covering his eyes before looking up again. Up on the hill, he could see his ticket to freedom, watching over the city like a guardian. 

“First time here?” Yelping, Keith whirled around. He was not expecting a very muscular and handsome man to be standing behind him, hands on his hips and a big proud smile on his face. “Woah didn’t mean to scare you. I just saw the way you were staring at the academy and I figured you might be new around here. I’m guessing that you’re also probably a new student. Am I right?

“How do you know that?” 

The man laughed. “Well, normally when we get people around your age it’s because they’re attending the Garrison. It looks fairly big but this isn’t exactly the most exciting city in the region. There’s a few nice restaurants and an interesting shop or two if you know where to look but overall very much the type of town you’d expect for an academy. So either you’ve been misled about what kind of adventures you’ll find here or your attending. It’s usually the latter.” He held out a hand. “Name’s Shiro. Well, Takashi Shirogane technically but everyone calls me Shiro.”

Keith accepted the gesturing, noting that the muscles weren’t just for show. Shiro had a strong grip. “Keith. Do you always come out to meet new students, Shiro.” 

The laugh he got was sweeter than expected and Keith prayed he wasn’t blushing. “I don’t, this was just a coincidence. I actually came to pick up something and just happened to see you staring. I remember how it felt to be new so I thought I’d make sure the first thing you saw was a friendly face. Sometimes it can make all the difference.” Shiro gestured towards the building. “Orientation won’t be for a little bit but you’re more than welcome to walk with me if you want. I’ll even give you the abridged tour along the way. How about it?” 

Keith glanced at the building again and then back to the soft smile unable to stop one of his own from forming. “I think that sounds pretty nice actually.” 

Shiro, as it turned out, was far too charming for his own good. He had promised an abridged version but that turned out to mean visiting just about every shop on the square. Keith thought he would have been annoyed but he found he was actually enjoying himself. 

Every place they went, people seemed to know who Shiro was. The pride in his voice as he showed Keith around was infectious and left him hanging on every word. It wasn’t hard to see just how much he loved this place and how it loved him. So many people stopped to say hello or offer him a small gift or a kind word. Keith felt so out of place every time but Shiro would just pick up where he left off as if it hadn't happened. 

As they stood on the stone bridge, talking about the watermill in the distance, Keith's stomach growled. When Shiro stopped talking, cheeks immediately started to burn. "Sorry, I didn't realize the time. I meant to just give you a simple tour but talking to you was just so easy that I didn't realize." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "There's a cafe that's on the way. It's got some great food and it's popular with the locals and students. My treat for taking so much of your time." 

"I didn't mind at all, really it's my fault for skipping breakfast!" Keith said quickly. "Hearing the way you talk about everything is...inspiring!" He wanted to jump off the bridge and let the water have him after such a terrible response. Out of all the words he could have picked, he had chosen inspiring. Shiro probably regretting that he had ever talked to Keith almost as much as he regretted speaking.

The soft smile brought his thoughts to a halt. "Thanks, Keith I really appreciate that. Come on, it's just over there." He said, pointing out a small cafe. Even from here Keithas could see several of the tables outside were already taken. As they drew closer he could tell why. The smells coming from the door every time it opened had his stomach growling again. 

He knew without looking that Shiro was grinning but when a hand fell to his lower back he forgot about. Leading them towards the tables, a server noticed and immediately came over. "Please, right this way. It's an honor to see you again sir. We have the perfect spot for you and your," Keith frowned at the disapproving look as the server ushered them towards the door. "guest." 

"Actually if it's not too much trouble, out here would be perfect," Shiro said quickly. Keith wasn't certain but Shiro looked uncomfortable by the interaction. Maybe it was the condescending and slightly strained smile on the server's face as if Shiro was being an unreasonable child. It might have been that everyone seemed to have had their eyes on them since they walked up. Regardless, it was enough to rub him the wrong way. 

Before the server could open his mouth and prove Keith right, the raven-haired man stopped and sat down at the first empty table. "This looks pretty perfect to me." He turned to the table next to them, the pair both turning away quickly even after getting caught staring. "No one was sitting here right?" 

The shorter of the two, a lanky guy with brown hair tinged with blue shook his head without turning around. "Nope, all yours." 

Keith nodded, setting his pack at his feet and leaning back in the chair. Looking up he gave the server his best smile that was just a little too big. "Great. This okay with you Shiro?" 

"Oh, yeah it's perfect." 

"Great. We'll need a minute or two. I'm new here and just enrolled at the Garrison. I'm not familiar with everything yet." He hadn't expected the guy to look even more bothered but something flashed over his face before getting himself together in record time and smiling back as Shiro sat down, gritting his teeth. 

"Of course. I will be back shortly." Keith waved even as the guy stalked off. Rolling his eyes he looked back at his companion, immediately feeling guilt roll over him. 

"Sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. If you don't want to sit here we don't have to, it just seemed like you wanted to stay out here and that guy was being a total jerk so-"

"Woah slow down, it's fine," Shiro interjected, holding up his hands and smiling again. "You're right I did, I mean it's a beautiful day and I'll probably be stuck inside for a good part of it so I want to enjoy as much as I can.” 

"As long as you're sure." Keith slouched forward a little more, leaning on the table.

"I am. Don't you want to remove your jacket?"

"Oh…" For a while, he had actually forgotten about it. It was tempting. The small breeze that kept blowing through would have felt so good against his back. So good against his- "Thanks but no I'm good. So since you're the tour guide in all this, what would you recommend?" 

Shiro's eyes lit up in that all too familiar way as he started to describe what was available. Putting his head on his hand, Keith smiled and listened with interest. It was small but apparently one of the more popular spots on the square and had food for a variety of patrons that stopped by. Keith’s mouth was watering by the time Shiro had finished. It turned out that Shiro was a big fan of fish, something that Keith wasn’t as familiar with since he hadn’t grown up near the ocean as Shiro did. Instead, he opted for a red meat dish, which also had come highly recommended by his partner. 

Eating with enthusiasm, he was liking this place more and more. The way Shiro would smile at him may have been part of that. Keith wasn't sure why it affected him so much, he had just met this guy but his sincerity and kindness was something Keith's life had been sorely missing for a very long time. 

"Is there something wrong with part of the dish?" 

Keith looked at his now mostly empty plate. It hadn't come with many vegetables but he had clearly picked them out. He shrugged, shifting in his seat. "Guess I just needed the protein. They're probably good but I'm full now." Keith said quickly. 

Shiro opened his mouth but Keith was saved from the question when a shadow fell over their table. Glancing up, purple eyes fell on a very nicely dressed elf. He was obviously an older gentleman, hair and beard white though he seemed in much better health than Honerva or maybe just younger. "Sorry to bother you during this time but I'm afraid I need your attention for a moment, Shiro." 

He must have sensed Keith was going to come to his defense again because he quickly stood. "Of course Headmaster." He said, shooting Keith a look. 

Keith looked up at the man with wide eyes this time. He moved to stand as well, trying to figure out what the appropriate protocol was. The Headmaster chuckled and held up his hand. "At ease young one. You are not yet an official part if the Garrison, enjoy the freedom while you can. I'll return him shortly, I promise." 

Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, Keith nodded. Shiro gave him a smile but he had already seen what a real smile was like. He looked tired if anything but dutifully follow the man towards another table not too far away from where a young woman waited. Keith watched, leaning an arm on the back of the chair as Shiro greeted her and sat down. He frowned at how she moved closer to him, leaning in. 

"She's pretty hot, isn't she? Wish I was that lucky to have meetings with pretty girls all the time."

Keith jumped, unable to remember when he had suddenly gotten another companion. The lanky man from before had turned around, watching the trio. This time Keith could more clearly see deep blue scales creep up tan skin and framing equally blue eyes. "You're a Mer." He blurted out, drawing both pairs of eyes on him.

"And your an elf. Any more obvious statements you want to make?" The guy asked and Keith gritted his teeth. 

"Well actually-"

"I'm a Were!" His friend said, sensing an argument about to start. "Everyone assumes wolf because they're the most popular but I'm actually not! Guess what I am, go on guess!" He said happily, looking straight at Keith. 

"A...lion?" 

The man laughed and nudged the Mer. "A lion. Did you hear that Lance? That's the nicest answer I think anyone's ever given me but no it's a bear actually. I'm Hunk, by the way. Nice to meet you-? 

"Keith and I assume you're name is Lance then." He asked, addressing the Mer again. "You said something about meetings with girls all the time. Does this happen a lot?" He asked, gesturing towards the other table. The pair exchanged a look. "What?" 

"You must not be from around here," Lance said, ignoring the glare sent his way. "Everyone knows Takashi Shirogane. He's a hero for one thing, local and otherwise. Fought in the war, saved a lot of lives and just overall awesome all on his own." 

He certainly wasn't bad on the eyes either. "I can see how that would make him desirable." 

"Riiight well if you have any interest yourself, I'd let them go right now and save yourself the disappointment. He's also an Avian." 

Keith felt his stomach sink at the words. That would explain how exceptionally nice everyone was around him as well as this impromptu meeting that was going on. “If that was the case then why don’t we see his wings.” 

“Because he doesn’t usually show them off all the time. People get too handsy for one thing.” Three pairs of eyes snapped to the formerly empty chair that had been between Hunk and Lance, scaring both of them. 

“What the hell Pidge, you can’t do that to us!” Lance complained. The small dryad shrugged and casually grabbed Hunk’s drink. 

“Pidge lives around here.” Hunk offered. 

My whole family does actually. They’re part of the Garrison and now I can finally go too.”

“That’s great but what were you saying before?” Keith asked, rubbing his temple. 

“Well, no one knew Shiro even was an Avian for a long time. Then the war happened and during a fight, it happened. After that, the word spread pretty fast. He usually doesn’t have them out unless he’s at the Garrison. We’ll probably see them during the orientation ceremony.” Pidge finished, sucking up the last of the water from the glass. 

“I see you made some friends while I was gone.” Keith had never been happier to see Shiro back. He half expected the group to pretend like they didn’t know how but instead they all waved and introduced themselves. When Shiro laughed it sounded much more genuine this time. “It’s nice to meet you all. I’m sure we’ll see each other at orientation which will be starting soon so don’t be late okay?” A chorus of agreement went up and when Shiro turned that smile on Keith, he felt his stomach flip-flop again. “Ready to go? Have one last stretch to show you that leads up to the Garrison and I don’t want you to be late either.” 

Falling into step with Shiro he had expected him to say something but he didn’t and they fell into a small silence as they walked. They passed by more houses and buildings, people continuing to wave and greet Shiro. Keith wondered if it was because of the meeting or if Shiro was constantly pulled into such things that it brought only discomfort. That was what he had seen on Shiro’s face before then too, discomfort. Passing by what was obviously a dorm, he noticed the brilliant purple Clematis flowers that were blooming everywhere in front of it. “Everything alright?” 

Pulled from his thoughts, Shiro smiled a tired smile. “Yeah of course. Sorry, I’m supposed to be giving you a tour aren’t I?” 

Keith shrugged. “Well, I can guess this is a dorm or one of them at any rate. I see another one just across the way from this one. Squinting pointed towards a similar-looking building by the water. “I think that’s one too? Looks a lot smaller.”

“It is and it’s also the newest addition in fact. They’re a little bit behind but the students for that class will still be able to move in. Just maybe not to their own rooms at first.” Shiro picked one of the purple flowers, finger rubbing gently over the petals. 

“Hey, sorry for having to leave you alone for a bit. I didn’t want to but I can’t very well say no to the Headmaster.” He said as they continued walking.

Keith hummed softly. “It’s expected, when you’re an Avian I mean.” 

“So you heard.” Keith nodded. “Guess that means you understand where the server was coming from. I should have said something so you wouldn’t have-.”

“I wouldn’t have changed a thing. That server was a jerk and I can’t stand people like that. I like how excited you get talking about this city and all the small things you know about it. I don’t care that you’re an Avian. I wish things like that weren’t a big deal” 

An unreadable look passed over Shiro’s face but Keith could tell he wasn’t expecting him to say that. Twirling the clematis between fingers, he offered it to Keith. “It matches your eyes.” He said simply, stopping at the large gate. Keith thought he saw a blush but wasn’t sure if it was just a trick of the light. Shiro cleared his throat. “Anyway, here we are!”

Looking up, he shielded eyes as he took it all in. A large building sat in the center, easily five stories call. There were several small buildings on either side and Keith had an idea that there were more than he couldn’t see. The courtyard was full of chatter and various creatures. Many of them stood around in groups, talking to their peers. Lance obviously wasn’t the only Mer that attended and he even saw other dryads. He took it all in with wide eyes, scanning all of the colors and magic laid out before him. A hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing it. 

“Welcome to the Garrison, Keith.”


	2. Welcome to the Galaxy Garrison

Keith was disappointed when he had to part ways with Shiro. He knew it was going to happen and he had acted as if it wasn’t a big deal. Now that he was left alone, he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. Shiro probably would have liked him to mingle with people and get to know those that he would be sharing the academy with. Any normal person probably would have done so instead of twirling the flower around nervously in their hands. No one looked familiar and he was grateful for that. He didn’t need anyone to recognize him and go running off back to his guardians. The person on the train had obviously been hired by them and he hadn’t been so naive to think they wouldn’t. At least, for now, they would be off his scent but he couldn’t let his guard down. 

He looked up at the large building. Nor would he give up. He was going to have his freedom. 

A chime sounded clearly through the courtyard, bringing the sounds around him to a quiet murmur. 

_Attention all students. Please report to the auditorium for orientation immediately. _

The chattering picked up again as everyone moved towards what he assumed was their destination. Someone bumped into him, knocking the flower from his hand and he scrambled to go after it. He grabbed it before someone could step on it, holding it close to his chest. Looking it over, the flower was none the worse for wear and he sighed in relief.

“Hurry up cadet! You do not want to be late for orientation!” 

The sharp order had him jumping up quickly. Feeling over himself, he wasn’t sure were to put it that would be safe. Fingers touched raven hair and he knew he had to make a decision. Securing it within his hair, he ran off and slipped inside just as the door started to close. There were even more students here and as he searched for a seat he noticed the trio from before though Pidge was sitting a couple of rows behind talking to someone that could have only been a sibling with how similar they looked. There was also a seat behind them. 

Ignoring the stares and the whispers he held his head high as walked down the full auditorium. He had to move passed several people to reach his spot but he still managed to do so just as the Headmaster walked up to the podium. Those standing behind him had to be the various faculty for the school and he was only slightly surprised to see Shiro among them. It had been mentioned that he would probably have his wings out but Keith still wasn’t ready for it or the way it made his mouth go dry. They were folded but pure black and looked incredibly strong. Shiro’s wingspan was probably huge and he had to cross his legs. Keith had no idea what the Headmaster was saying and he should have been paying attention. Shiro turned his head just slightly and met Keith’s gaze, holding it for a long moment before tilting his head towards the Headmaster. For what felt like the millionth time his face burned at getting caught and eyes immediately snapped to the elf. 

“That concludes orientation. Though we always hope for times of peace, we must be ever vigilant. As always I look forward to what all of you can bring to this academy as well as what you take away from it. Remember, Galaxy Garrison exists to turn young cadets like you into the next generation of elite explorers. Be the change you wish to see in this world.”

Applause erupted as he stepped back. Keith didn’t know much about him but he could feel the respect and power the man commanded. 

“He’s just great isn’t he?” 

He hadn’t noticed the woman sitting next to him. From the look on her face, he assumed she was a groupie. 

“Every year Father’s speeches become more and more impressive. Oh I only hope I can live up to expectation,” she said, twirling white hair between fingers. Keith didn’t even have time to freak out about sitting right next to the Headmaster’s daughter as she suddenly had her hand extended. “My name is Allura and I’m a witch or rather a witch in training of course. I completed my basics but now it’s time for the real stuff!” She said happily, still waiting for Keith to take her hand. 

“Please locate your respective class designations and head to the appropriate locations You will receive further notice from your Instructors.” 

Shaking her hand he nodded. “I’m Keith. Blademaster or rather that’s the plan. Training and all.” At least with their different classifications, they wouldn’t be in the same class. He actually wasn’t sure which class he was in, pulling out the small booklet he had been given. Just inside sat the symbol he had seen a hundred times on his journey here. “Speaking of I guess that’s our cue to get going. I have to figure out where Epsilon is.” 

She frowned. “Are you sure that’s correct?” He showed her the pin which only seemed to confuse her more. Pulling her own book out, she opened it and showed him a very familiar pin. “Because if so then we would be in the same class. Although now that I think about it-”

“What!? What is kind of class is Epsilon? Shouldn’t I be in Delta with you?” Pidge exclaimed, staring at the book incredulously. The pair watched as the older man stood up. 

“Yeah that’s gotta be super confusing and I wish I could help but unfortunately I have to go.” He said, grabbing his bag and running off towards the door. “Good luck, make friends!” 

“Matt get back here and tell me what this is about! Ugh jerk.” Plopping back down and pouting, Keith could relate. 

“Looks like we have another person in our class. I don’t suppose you do magic, other than nature magic.” Allura asked hopefully. 

Pidge eyed her warily. “No, I don’t and I certainly don’t like fire. Beyond that just tech stuff. My parents are instructors and my brother’s a couple of years ahead of me with his training. This is my first year attending but I’ve been here my entire life and this is the first time I’ve ever heard of this class.”

“So who else is in it then? It can’t just be the three of us.” Keith pointed out. 

“Well, there are at least two other students for sure, which would be us if that wasn’t obvious enough.” 

Keith wanted to believe that voice didn’t belong to who he thought it did but even if Lance was easy to miss, his much taller companion was not. “Great so that makes five. I guess it would be too much to assume that they made a mistake for this many people. I assume neither of you has the same skills?” Keith asked. 

“Nope. I’m primarily a brawler, though I’m not a fan of fighting. I would much rather be cooking and making friends.” Hunk offered. “And Lance here uses a polearm so…” 

Keith gave the Mer a look. “So your name is Lance and you-”

Lance waved him off. “I know the irony in my own name thank you very much. I’m not against being in a class with my best friend as well as a gorgeous woman,” He winked at Allura who rolled her eyes at him and instantly won points with Keith. “But it doesn’t really make sense and is it really only five of us?”

“Well Epsilon does mean five but most classes are a lot bigger,” Pidge interjected. “And who’s our instructor for that matter?” 

“I’m glad you asked.” All of them turned toward the familiar voice as Shiro walked up with a big grin on his face, wings missing. “Follow me, we can walk and talk.” Stepping out into the sun, Keith thought he saw the exposed part of Shiro’s back shift. After having his wings out before he probably wanting nothing more than to stretch them out under the sun. Keith could relate, rubbing his back. Allura had noticed and asked if he was alright but Keith brushed her off, ignoring the lingering look from Shiro. 

As it turned out they had been picked for a new program. No one knew how it would go but as Shiro put it, they were expecting good things. It was expected to be more demanding but the way Shiro spoke about it, every single one of them was hooked. None of them were expecting to be asked to show off their skills right away, all of them hesitant to go first. Keith was the first to step up, feeling that warmth in his stomach at the acknowledgment from Shiro. He asked for another to step up and Keith would have wanted anyone other than the Mer. Needless to say their first at facing their opponent didn’t go well. Neither of them knew how to work together, getting in each other’s way and getting into a fight with each other. Hunk had picked up Lance while Allura had grabbed Keith much to his surprise. He had forgotten that elves were supposed to be strong than the average person. Even after calming down the two refused to be anywhere near each other. When the remaining three tried they didn’t do much better which Pidge getting upset when Allura’s fire got to close with Hunk trying to be the mediator and failing. 

Shiro ran a hand over his face. “Well, that was...just the first time. I wasn’t expecting you guys to be perfect. All of you have your strengths and weaknesses, something you bring to this team and its purpose. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now but by the time we’re through, you guys will be able to fight like a real team. Remember, patience yields focus.” None of them looked very convinced but he knew they would see in time. “Now classes officially start tomorrow so be prepared. This won’t be the last time we have a practice like this either. As with any class, you’ll be staying in the same dorm. I know you were expecting individual rooms but they still need another couple of days before they’re complete. So just for those two days, you’ll have to rough it with a partner.”

“Wait, what?” Keith spoke before he could stop himself. “For two days?” There was that look that Keith couldn’t quite decipher but didn’t like. It felt too much like Shiro could see right through him and he pulled the jacket a little tighter around him without thinking about it. 

“Please tell me I am not going to have to spend it with _him_,” Lance said, jabbing a thumb Keith’s way. 

“I don’t want to spend it with you either!” Keith shot back. “Especially not with that terrible performance from before.” 

“My performance? What about you? Who the hell fights in a jacket like that? You almost fell over it like three times. Take the stupid thing off already. It’s like a million degrees out here.” Lance returned, taking a step towards Keith. Seeing the impending fight, it was Shiro that got between them this time. 

“Stow it, both of you.” He said firmly. “We’ll have to work this out eventually but for now Lance do you remember the dorm that sits on the lake?” When he nodded Shiro continued. “Why don’t you meet us over there. The water will do you some good. The rest of you follow me.” 

Keith recognized the small dorm, Shiro had pointed it out earlier. He wondered if he had known back then that Keith would be part of this group or not. There had been a few times when Shiro would let his guard down but then there were times like before when Keith had no idea what was going on in his head. Lance walked up to the group, looking far more refreshed and happy than before. Keith also noticed he looked completely dry even though they had watched him walk up from the water. The dorm itself looked like it had three levels to it and once they were inside he could see he was correct. Stairs led upward and they all followed Shiro as he pointed everything out. 

They had a shared kitchen that Hunk was eager to explore along with what was going to be Hunk and Lance’s respective rooms. The second room was going to be for Pidge and Allura though Lance and Hunk would be staying on the same floor for a couple of days on the right side. Shiro firmly reminded all of them that he expected the best behavior from all of them and if that didn’t happen there would be consequences. None of them contested it and satisfied with that he took them to the third floor. 

“This door is mine. The other one leads to your room Keith, or it will in a couple of days. Alright, everyone, it’s been a long day. We’ll meet up for our first meal together in a couple of hours. Dismissed.” 

The group dispersed but Keith lingered behind. “You showed me where my room would be but not where I’ll be staying for now. There only seemed to be so many rooms on the second floor” Shiro paused, thinking it over before gesturing towards his door. 

“Sorry about that You’ll be with me for a couple of days.” He said, opening the door and gesturing for Keith to go first and following right behind. 

“We just met and you want me to room with you? Why don’t you tell me what you really want,” Keith interjected, putting a hand up. 

The smile on Shiro’s face faltered and then slipped into something a little more sympathetic. As if Keith was being unreasonable but unignorable though perhaps he was. He didn’t care about fake niceties. There was far too much of that back home.”I wanted to know why you’re hiding who you are.” 

Keith felt as if the air had been knocked out of him. “W-what are you talking about?” He asked, standing up straight and giving off a short laugh. “You know who I am. You’ve said my name plenty since I’ve been here.” 

“You’ve got me there. I suppose I should have asked why you are hiding what you are. We both know you’re not an elf.” Shiro said pointedly. 

The raven-haired man was never more tempted to punch someone since that Mer from earlier. He sniffed. “That’s insensitive. We don’t all look alike but if you have to know, I’m mixed.” Brown eyes bore into him, making the shorter of the two shift from one foot to the other, forcing himself to hold the gaze. Even as Shiro took a step closer, Keith stared him down, refusing to move even as the larger frame slipped out of view. 

“I believe you.” The voice said from somewhere behind him. “But we both know that even when one parent is, in fact, an elf if the other is an Avian, the resulting child will always be one as well.” 

Whirling around, he came within inches of those intense brown eyes. Stumbling backward, a strong hand caught his jacket. Fingers rubbed over the material, focusing on it for once and giving him a moment to try and calm his racing heart. Shiro felt even bigger up close, muscles bulging from the slight action. If the other man ever managed to tackle him to the ground, Keith would never be able to escape. He could probably hold him down with one hand, the other free to do whatever it wanted to him. 

“You’ve looked incredibly uncomfortable ever since you got here.” 

Snapping back to reality, he pulled back and this time the hand let him go. “It was a long trip and I’m in a new place. I’m sure anyone would be ‘uncomfortable’.” He snapped, making air quotes as he spoke. 

Shiro crossed his arms and Keith had to reign his wayward thoughts in again. This was not the time to be mesmerized by just how tight that shirt was. Fingers gesture upward and cheeks burned at the amused look on Shiro’s face. “Again I can believe you but just like before you’re not telling me the whole truth. I know that look, I’ve been there more than once. We’re not comfortable having our backs covered. It goes against our nature and the longer you make yourself wear it, the more it’s going to drive you crazy. When was the last time you were able to stretch your wings, Keith?” 

Pulling the jacket tighter, he grimaced at the way the material brushed against a bare back. Even as soft as it was, Shiro was right. He was dying to take it off. “Shortly after I arrived at the station. I kid almost saw me.” He finally admitted, hearing the sharp intake of breath. 

“Ari an entire day’s ride from here, not to mention getting through the entire school day as well. What were you going to do if I hadn’t said anything?” The underlying anger in Shiro’s voice caught Keith off guard. He hadn’t expected him to be concerned. 

Running fingers through hair, he shrugged. “Well, I was told we were going to have individual rooms,” Keith said irritably. “You have to leave the room at some point. I guess.” He didn’t realize how ridiculous that sounded until Shiro pointed it out. The chances of him being alone, especially in a shared room with the man he was in the same class with were incredibly slim. Shoulders fell as the realization sunk in. 

“Keith.” The soft but commanding tone had him looking up immediately. The sympathy reflected in those eyes made Keith's stomach knot up. Whatever Shiro was going to say was let go with a loud sigh. “I wish you would have told me but I recognized what you were so I was able to change the rooms without too much trouble. Plus I figured it would be best if you were somewhere close by instead of with Lance.” 

“Because I’m already classified as ‘trouble’? Wait you were going to have me room with the Mer?” He asks incredulously.

“It was only going to be for a couple of days. You’ll still get an individual room. Though since the academy doesn’t know the truth, it won’t be quite as good as it could be. Even so, that's still too long to wait.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “I’ll be fine with the accommodations they give me and I know okay? Just, you aren’t going to tell them the truth are you?” He asked. 

The concerned tugged at Shiro’s heart. Running a hand over his face he let out another sigh. “Not if you take off the jacket, give yourself a much-needed stretch and tell me why you’re putting yourself through this.” 

“Deal.” He didn’t even need to think about it, almost ripping the jacket off in his haste and tossing it on the bed. Unlike Shiro, the deep red knitted shirt covered his right arm, the fingerless black glove peeking out from under it. He could see the questions but promptly ignored it. Closing his eyes, Keith almost sighed in relief as the cool air of the room hit his back. 

“You already look better.” That voice was behind him again, and he turned just as a hand had reached out. Moving away, Keith cleared his throat and Shiro didn’t push it. “Alright next step. I have a feeling you don’t like showing your wings around others. Would it help if I did it first?” At the short nod, he turned. Keith had already seen it but it still made him gasp as the massive wings erupted from a toned back. It had been impressive then and it was twice as much this close up. He felt his own hand come up as Shiro’s had. “You can touch them if you want.” 

Broken from his revery he pulled his hand back and quickly turned around. "I'm good, thanks." He felt the small breeze that Shiro’s wings stirred up as he turned, could feel eyes burning into his back. Despite his aversion to touch, the back of a tunic left his back almost completely bare, coming back together at his waist and fitting tightly over hips. 

Exhaling slowly, he willed himself to relax. The itching at his back intensified but this time he didn’t ignore it. Instead, pointed wings spread out gracefully behind him. Brown feathers were banded with black and tipped with white, stretching out before folding neatly behind him. He didn’t open his eyes until he heard the chuckle, Shiro looking at him with amusement. 

“Now that is more like it. From the look of it, I’d say you excel at speed and agility like a proper bird of prey.” 

Keith scoffed but there was a smile on his lips. “If you’re asking if I could easily fly circles around you, then the answer is yes and not just because you’re old.” He teased. 

Shiro crossed his arms. “Hey now we do not have very many years between us so I’d watch it with the old comments. Maybe you’d be harder to catch but when I did, you’d be in trouble.” 

“If you could catch me, you mean.”

“Is that a challenge?” Shiro asked, cocking a brow. 

Keith grinned. “We’ll see.” 

“Yes, we will.” The intense stare made his cheeks flush and Keith looked away quickly. Shiro’s laugh made him smile, something he had been doing more of since he came here. Maybe this wasn’t a bad idea after all. “For now though, we still have one last part of our deal.” 

The smile dropped at that and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You should already know why. Avians are extremely rare and as soon as anyone finds out you are one your life is over! We no longer have freedom and all anyone cares about is keeping us from all danger, no matter how small, just so they can pick someone out for us to breed with." 

"You don't have to put it so crudely."

"But that's exactly what it is. It doesn't matter if you love the person or hell even like them. They could even be a terrible person as long as everything else about them is worthy. None of it is actually for our sakes and you can't tell me it's not the same here." Keith argued. "You were a fighter, a war hero even. I can see it in your face that you would rather be out there finding adventure than having to babysit new recruits and being asked to meet women you don't even care about."

"Do your parents know you're here?" Shiro asked softly. Purple eyes narrow as a jaw tightened and Shiro sighed. "They're probably worried about you."

"No," he said darkly. "They're not. They only miss their meal ticket and I'm not actually their son. My mother left when I was a baby and my dad passed away when I was a child. They saw an opening to further their own greed and took it. I am never going back." Crossing his arms he fixed Shiro with a hard stare. "I came here to be my own person. I'm not letting anyone dictate who I am anymore." 

He could see the sympathy in eyes again along with understanding. Shiro had been there and dealt with the stigma that came from people knowing. Keith could tell he thought Keith was being unreasonable. There was a way things worked and even he had unable to stop it. "Keith…"

"I know. You've lost hope just like every other Avian but I won't. I'm going to get stronger and learn more about the world around me. Once I put my mind to something, I don't give up. No one is going to decide my life for me anymore. Just watch." 

Fingers gently touched the Clematis tucked into hair. "You're very stubborn aren't you?"

Keith smiled. "I'm told I get it from my mother." He tried to feigned indifference when he felt fingers slip into hair. Tried not to acknowledge burning cheeks when those same fingers found his face and tilted his head up slightly. 

"I imagine you got several good qualities from her," Shiro muttered softly. 

"May~be" Keith teased, catching the way a breath hitched at the tone. Leaning in, he was certain he saw Shiro do the same. 

Eyes snapped open at the repeated loud rap at the door. Keith didn't even know when he had closed them, the pair quickly separating. 

"Instructor Shirogane are you in there? I'm terribly sorry to bother you but there appears to be an issue that I need assistance with." 

Keith was trying not to panic and slowly his heartbeat down enough to will wings away. That overly formal tone could only belong to the Headmaster's daughter. 

"I am. Give me just a moment Allura." Hands grabbed Keith by the shoulders, squeezing to draw the raven-haired man out of his own head. "Calm down. She won't see you, I promise." Heading for the door, he opened it just enough, using his larger frame and wings to block the rest of the way. 

Keith wasn't sure what they were talking about and he didn't care. The room suddenly felt far to open and he slipped into the bathroom for an escape. By the time he felt okay enough to leave the bathroom, Shiro was gone.


	3. You're what I really want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some NSFW goodness in this chapter.

Keith didn’t have much time to worry about Shiro knowing who he was. When he had said it was more demanding he hadn’t been kidding. On top of normal classes, they had drills and practices and a lot to work out among themselves. There was no other instructor he would have wanted for this. He was attentive and knowledgeable about their different needs that would have normally been addressed if they were in the classes meant for them. 

Lance got noticeably crankier and slower when he was drying out, pouting in his small pool until the colors in his scales grew vibrant again. Oddly enough he and Allura worked together with each other the best. They hadn’t at first since Lance wouldn’t stop flirting with her but that shifted when she got fed up with him and blasted him with water. Somehow it hadn’t occurred to either of them that was the answer to Lance’s problem. Once they worked that out he became much harder of an opponent and Shiro saw that. With one problem down he was looking for the next one to work out. 

They were able to move into their new rooms as promised, finally able to unpack their stuff and make their new home more personal. There was surprisingly less bickering than expected and the more days that passed, the more they grew accustomed to each other’s presence. Having Hunk more than happy to make food for everyone helped immensely. He liked to say that food always brought people together. 

Hunk wasn’t just great in a kitchen, he always also excellent with defense. What he lacked in agility and speed he made up for with the amount of damage he could take. He also had a sharp mind like Pidge though he preferred to build things while Pidge had a habit of taking things apart. Their hobbies brought them together with both of them creating things for each other to make life easier as well as for the others. Weapons were tweaked, with consent and improved along with basic things around their dorm. If someone needed to be fixed at the Garrison, they were one of the first ones to ask. 

They were also the next ones to work out how to use their strengths and weaknesses together. Pidge wasn’t the best at fighting but her small size made it easy to hide behind the bulkier Were. Keith and Lance had both been trying to work together to take down Hunk, not expecting the sudden vines that caught both of them. 

Keith was covered in dirt and leaves, sore but feeling more confident in his abilities. Now all he wanted was a shower before dinner. 

“Hey, Keith.”

He hadn’t been able to talk to Shiro alone much and Keith had been debating on how he felt about that. When they were alone he did feel as if he could be himself. Not that he couldn’t stretch his wings in his own room but Keith had never expected to find another Avian. It was more than that of course, Shiro had been exceptionally sweet and charming even before that had been revealed to him. Even so, Keith knew he shouldn’t let himself think about it too much, he didn’t have any kind of chance. Not only was Shiro so far out of his league that it wasn’t even funny, but there was no way they would be allowed together. If he was a woman then it wouldn’t have mattered but no child could ever come from them. Not that he thought about things like that. Such thoughts absolutely did not enter his mind, often at night when he didn’t have enough noise to drown out his thoughts

Turning, he swallowed down the noise that tried to escape. It was not fair for one person to be that gorgeous. “What’s up Shiro? I was just about to take a shower as if it wasn’t obvious I needed one.” The way eyes raked over his body didn’t help either but he was almost positive he was imagining it. 

“I know. I wanted to talk to you about something, in your room if you don’t mind?” Keith knew what that meant. This wasn’t a conversation that should be overheard, curiosity and anxiety each at him. 

He put a smile on. “Sure, come on in.” As soon as the door shut the jacket was off and his wings came forth in a cloud of dust. Coughing, he waved his hand around. “Wasn’t expecting that. Sorry.” 

“Well, your back was filthy.” Shiro pointed out as Keith made a disgusted noise. “I would have warned you but you did it so fast I didn’t have time. You know you can’t keep wearing that jacket. It really is messing up your fighting style. You’re meant to be able to move more freely.” 

Stretching, Keith rolled his shoulders and his eyes. “Yeah, I know and I’ve been thinking about that. There’s a clothing store just across from the bookstore that I visited the other day. There was a jacket they had that would still cover my back but it’s a lot shorter. Like here shorter.” he said, gesturing towards the belt, face heating up at look that lingered. Taking the belt off and careful of the pouches, he sat it on the table next to the pot that held the Clematis flower. Keith quickly headed for the bathroom, peeling the shirt off once he was out of sight and tossing it out the still-open door. “I know what you’re thinking, that having my back covered distracts me but I’m getting used to it.” Pants followed and he would have loved to know what was going through Shiro’s mind with each article of clothing he tossed out. Normally he would have closed the door but he wanted to be able to hear his guest, and maybe he was feeling a little bold. He still closed it most of the way.

“It’s a start so I’ll accept it for now. Assuming you follow through.” Shiro’s voice carried through, even after the sound of water started. 

“Of course I will,” Keith called back, making a noise of appreciation when the water hit him. He didn’t need it anywhere as much as the Mer but having the dirt from the day washed off always helped refresh him. The bathroom was smaller than he would have liked but no one had accounted for him having wings and he would keep it that way no matter how Shiro protested. His frame was smaller than Shiro’s though had no shortage of muscles. 

“Speaking of,” Keith paused, wondering if he was just imagining that the voice sounded closer. “You also need to work on fighting while airborne. It would be difficult to do during the day although we could do it turning your free days. Nighttime would be harder and I shouldn’t really be away but no one has tried to sneak out yet and the city is safe so it’s another option. Regardless you can’t spend all your time on the ground.” 

He wasn’t going to admit that he had snuck out before. His room had a balcony after all and they both knew that the call from the sky was impossible to ignore. It was risky but every time he was able to feel the wind under his wings he was reminded of how much it was worth it. Even if someone did notice something in the sky they would probably assume it was Shiro. “I have to admit that is a good point. I’m not too bad on the ground but I’m not sure about in the air. It’s not like I’ve never practiced but trying to learn by yourself can only go so far.” he admitted, running hands through his hair as the last of the soap washed away and turned to start cleaning his feathers. 

“How about tonight?”

Keith almost pulled a feather out, smoothing it back down. “T-tonight? Just us?” He thought he heard a chuckle. 

“Yes, Keith just the two of us. Unless you want someone else to know about you?”

“No! No, that’s okay. Yeah, tonight’s fine.” He said, turning off the water and shaking his wings off. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he ran another over his hair before draping it over his arm. Opening the door, he jumped when realized that Shiro was leaning against the wall next to the door. 

He laughed again. “Sorry, it was easier to hear you from here.” 

Ignoring that Shiro was right there while all he had was a towel to keep him modest, Keith looked for fresh clothes. “It’s fine. I know I should have waited but I couldn’t help it and you didn’t seem to have an issue.”

“No, I suppose I didn’t. Is there something wrong with your arm?” He asked, gesturing towards the towel when Keith looked at him. 

Keith shrugged. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Maybe someday I’ll tell you about it. Anyway, I need to get dressed and then I plan to do take a nap before dinner. I’ll see you there and tonight of course.” 

Shiro smiled. “I look forward to when you trust me enough to share then. Yes, tonight. It’s a date.” He winked and left the room, leaving a very confused Keith behind. Keith was left turning the whole thing over in his mind. As much as he should have let it go he couldn’t. He had never flown with another person before. Hell, he’d never had anyone interested in him beyond his status. Keith wanted to convince himself that all of this was the same as always but he knew that was a lost cause. Shiro was an Avian himself and since neither of them could get a child from the other there was no reason for him to pursue Keith. Even so, it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the mounting evidence that maybe Shiro liked him too. 

Flopping down on the bed, Keith let his mind wander. What kind of lover would he be? Did he have an experience with another man? Avians were allowed a certain time in their life to experiment and experience the world in a way they weren’t afforded later. Keith had never taken advantage of that. Any partner he had considered always quickly ruined their chance when it became obvious why they wanted in his pants. That line of thinking only soured the mood he was trying to build and he pushed it away. 

Shiro had this aura to him, one that spoke of experience in a lot of different ways. He was probably the type of person to start off slow, really take the time to explore his partner’s body. Undress them solve and worship every inch as it was revealed. 

Keith’s hand roamed over chest nice and slow like Shiro was in his head. He let fingers slid down between pecs, over a taut stomach. They stopped where a towel started and he could hear Shiro tsk in his head. 

_So eager. _

He whimpered, hands slipping agonizingly slow up his chest. He gasped as a hand teased a nipple, already hardening in the cool room. 

Licking his lips, he could feel the heat already pooling between thighs. He rubbed them together to try and relieve the pressure but it didn’t do much. The thought of those calloused hands on him, the feeling of strong thighs pushing legs apart as they settled between them drew a moan from his mouth. Still teasing a chest, his other hand fumbled with the towel. He imagined Shiro, finding the edge and ripping the towel open, leaving Keith vulnerable and on display. 

_You’re so beautiful, spread out like this for me. Look how much you want me, Keith._

Hissing in pleasure, as he took himself in hand, squeezing and teasing the head. Fingers continued to pluck at a nipple until it was red from abuse, overly sensitive even after he let go. Licking fingers he teased the other as he arched into his hand. “S-Shiro…” He moaned. Feeling under the pillow he found the small tin, fumbling to get it open. Cursing, he had to use both hands to do so. Hand slick, he resumed stroking himself. The motion was so much more pleasurable, making obscene noises when fingers caught the pre-cum leaking from the head. 

_So filthy and eager for me. Tell me how badly you want to have me inside you. How much you want me to destroy your virgin hole._

Keith jerked up, hand moving faster as he whimpered. “I want you to fuck me so badly. Please, Shiro!” 

He moaned at the chuckle that echoed through his hair. Slick fingers slid over his sac, teasing before slipping further down. The Avian hesitated, fingers rubbing slow circles over the flesh just over his hole. He had never been brave enough to actually penetrate himself. His guardians had been so adamant about making sure he knew what was expected of him when he was paired off that they had never given him any information on what would happen if he was the one penetrated. It was something that wasn’t expected to happen and if it did he was expected hope for a decent partner that knew what they were doing. 

_It’s okay baby. Just let me handle everything. I’ve got you._

Shiro would know what to do. He would take care of Keith and make sure he was okay. Then the next time he would be the one to whisper those things to Shiro as he fucked him. 

Taking himself in hand again, he liked that idea too of Shiro showing him all the ways he liked being fucked. Sitting in Keith’s lap, taking him like the pro he surely was. Not that he thought Shiro was promiscuous but even if he was Keith wouldn’t care. This time when he sped up, he imagined the squelching noises were the sound of Shiro’s ass as it came down on him. Pleasure building he came with a short cry of Shiro’s name as he released all over himself. 

Laying there in the aftermath, chest heavily and a stupid smile on his face he realized he would have to clean up again. It was absolutely worth it. 

Eventually, he went down for dinner giving a short greeting as he entered. 

“You look well-rested, Keith. Get a good nap in or something?” Hunk asked, setting down a bowl in front of him. 

“Something like that. I did take a nap at one point.” After a session like that he had cleaned and clocked out, waking up more refreshed than he had in a while. Maybe he needed to jerk off more often. 

Shiro smiled. “Well, whatever you’re doing try doing it more often. It’s obviously helping. Relaxing is important in keeping in top condition.” Keith tried not to choke on his food, only managing a small nod. He was grateful when the rest of the meal went by without a problem. He didn’t even get into a fight with the Mer for once. All too soon the sun had disappeared and he was sitting with his head on his hand as he looked out the window. When he heard a knock at the door. Keith resisted the urge to hide his wings. He knew who this was, it was okay. 

“Come in.” 

He kept telling himself he knew who it was but when Shiro who stuck his head, he felt shoulders relax and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Ready?” Nodding, Keith jumped up and pushed open the doors to his balcony. Jumping up on the railing, he twirled around look at Shiro. “Why do I get the feeling you’ve done this before?” he asked, trying to look stern and failing. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Keith said, walking along the railing as if he was still on the ground. Grabbing the ledge, he folded his wings and swung himself up. “You coming or what? We don’t have all night.” 

Shiro snorted. “Very funny.” Climbing up after Keith, he paused at the sight before him. Framed by the night sky full of stars he watched Keith look up at the stars with a wonder of someone that loved the sky. A cool wind ruffled long hair and he could swear that purple orbs seemed to glow in the moonlight. Keith noticed him staring, looking embarrassed though it didn’t seem to stop Shiro even after being caught. “Let’s go. We don’t have a lot of time.” Heading for the edge, he opened his wings just as he reached the edge, giving a powerful flap and then he was airborne. Looking down he could see that Keith was looking at him with that same kind of wonder before it was gone and then he was running towards the edge, jumping and catching the same updraft Shiro had. “You have definitely done this before.” 

“Still don’t know what you’re talking about but if you really want to know I guess you’ll just have to catch me,” Keith said.

Shiro pretended to think about it, waiting for Keith to move closer before he suddenly surged towards him. It earned him a sharp yelp of surprise but Keith rolled out of the way and took off Just like that the game was on. He knew Keith was faster, able to dodge and weave at a surprisingly impressive rate. He would have been at a much bigger disadvantage if he didn’t know the terrain as he did. Keith didn’t know it but Shiro was leading him exactly where he wanted. The smaller man was easy to spook, his pattern predictable. Something to work on but he had seen how resourceful the raven-haired man could be. That fire was more than a little appealing. 

Regardless, it was time to stop playing with his prey. 

The trees they had been flying over ended and opened up over a grassy field as far as the eye could see. Keith glanced back to see how far away Shiro was only to be met with nothing. Stopping himself he glanced back again before turning around in a full circle. Had he really gone that fast? He had been so focused on not running into things that he could have but surely Shiro would catch up soon enough. 

He felt the shift in air pressure a moment too soon, looking up just as a large body came at him. Strong hands grabbed him and the pair headed for the ground. Large black wings spread out, easily carrying both of their weights but as soon as legs hit the ground the pair went rolling. Keith found himself on his back laughing with Shiro joining him. “I can’t believe I did that. I feel like that’s cheating.” Keith said in between laughter. 

“Hey! I won fair and square. You’re not the only bird of prey thank you very much although I will admit in a test of speedy I am very much outmatched.” The laughter died in Keith’s throat when he felt a thumb stroke his cheek. He stared up at Shiro, breathe hitching at the intense stare. “I didn’t think about it that much because my mind was on other things at the time but after you came out of the shower that was the first time I think I had seen you without those marks on your cheek.”

“You didn’t really think they were real did you?” Keith joked, trying to break the tension.

“No. I was just thinking about how beautiful you look when I can completely see the real you.” Shiro muttered. 

Keith flushed. “S-shouldn't we start training?” 

Shiro nodded, still staring so intently. “Yes, we should,” he said, voice barely above a whisper before he leaned in and pressed their lips together. 

His mind most certainly blanked as soon as warm lips met his own. Every reason that he knew they shouldn’t be doing this flew out the window. There was nothing, only the two of them laying amongst the flowers, holding onto each other like a lifeline. The feeling of muscles beneath fingertips was more than enough to convince him this was real. The way feathers brushed against his arms sent little jolts of electricity and he brought his own up around Shiro. The murmur of approval went straight down and he eagerly opened his mouth when he felt a tongue trace over lips. They were even more breathless when they broke apart though Keith chased after another kiss, earning a chuckle at his enthusiasm. 

“You are dangerously tempting,” Shiro grumbled against lips. “I shouldn’t be doing this but you’re the first person that I feel actually sees me.” 

Keith kissed him again, drawing him into more before pulling back to nuzzle a face. “I feel the same way.”

“The Garrison would never let me-”

“I don’t care what they want. I care about what you want.What do you want, Takashi?” he saw the shift in Shiro’s eyes when he used that name. The one no one else ever did, not even the women they tried to push on him. When that look changed again, Keith already knew what the answer was. 

“I want you.”


	4. We are a family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even more NSFW goodness.

Things didn’t change as much as Keith would have expected. He still acted the same around Shiro but will a little more flirtiness on both sides. Of course, he couldn’t have Shiro all to himself and he gave plenty of support and attention to everyone else. There was never any jealousy or concern, he knew that it was entirely different from the attention he got. He trusted Shiro and every day he was coming to trust his team more. 

Shiro made sure there were plenty of times they all hung out together but slowly they started to do it on their own both in the dorm and outside of it. They were coming together and that started to spill over into practice. Even Keith and Lance were doing better, their bickering becoming less heated and more like playful banter. When they actually worked together they were almost unstoppable. 

Keith enjoyed when the sun went down and he and Shiro could soar through the stars. They actually started training but there were still plenty of stolen moments where they focused on other aspects. He was trying to figure out how to broach the subject of sex, not wanting to seem to each but he knew Shiro could feel the effect a mouth and hands had on him. They had even shared a bed, one of them waking up early enough to sneak into their own room before the others could wake up. As much as he absolutely loved all of it, he had needs that his own hand was not doing a good job of meeting. Having someone care so much about him in his life was throwing his hormones into overdrive. He wanted, no craved that ultimate bond. 

After a particularly rough training session, they landed near a secluded lake for a drink and to cool off. When Shiro stripped his shirt off to splash water on himself, Keith was tempted to do the same, hands hesitating. Eyes watched as the water droplets slid down over hard muscles, imaging his tongue chasing each other. When Shiro looked up, eyes turned mischievous and he stood up slowly. “Something on your mind Keith?” He wasn’t sure how Shiro always seemed to know what was on his mind. Maybe he was more of an open book that he thought or maybe Shiro just knew how to read him. Stepping forward, he braced his hands on a firm chest, admiring it before giving in and licking a water droplet away. The soft groan spurred him on and he lapped at another, tongue trailing up to a neck. He nipped at the skin, taking in the soft intake of breath. “Are you sure you know what you’re asking for?” Shiro growled out. 

“I know that I want you, all of you. Why won’t you touch me more?” He asked, sucking on the skin. He felt the vibrations from the soft chuckle. Hands slid down his sides and under the hem of his clothing. 

“Because you never seem to want to even take your shirt off around me. I just assumed you weren’t ready for that step.” He tugged on it again. “It’s okay not to be ready.” 

Keith stepped back and he sees the resignation in Shiro’s eyes. He wanted it just as much but he would wait until Keith was ready, taking the movement as a sign. Grabbing the shirt, he pulled it over his head and flung it side before he could lose his nerve. Making sure he had Shiro’s attention, he pulled the fingerless glove off with his teeth and tossed it aside too before holding his arms out. “That answer your question?” Eyes roamed over an exposed chest before falling on an arm. There was nothing all that interesting about it in Keith’s opinion He looked just like the other save for the red mark that swirled around his arm as if a fire had scorched his skin. He had no memory of such a thing happening, fairly certain he had been born with it but his guardians had disliked it, acted as if it was unsightly and shameful. He had grown so used to hiding it and for all his false bravado, he still had a moment of doubt that Shiro would hate it. Fingers gently touched the skin, sending shivers down his spine. 

“So that’s how yours manifested.” A confused look was met with sympathy and he gathered Keith into his arms. “We all have a mark, Keith. A reminder of the power we hold. Yours is just bigger than usual. No matter what anyone says it is not ugly. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” 

Blinking, he didn’t expect to feel tears falling and no matter how he tried to stop them they just kept coming. A mouth kissed wet cheeks, rubbing soothing circles over a lower back. “You’re so beautiful, Keith.” he murmured against skin. “Every part of you.”

He wasn’t sure when they had lost the rest of their clothing but his skin felt like it was on fire. It tempted only slightly when he was engulfed in the cool water, still held tightly in Shiro’s arms. Hands explored new territory, feeling old scars and finding places that sent more jolts of pleasure through their bodies. Shiro was hard against his thigh and Keith reached down, feeling how thick he was, enjoying the way hips thrust up to gain more friction. “I want you so badly.” He whispered, afraid if he was too loud that it might all disappear. “Please.” 

Wings pushed them back towards the shore and the next thing he knew he was laying on his back against the soft ground. Lips started at his head, pressing soft kisses to skin and lapping at lips. He opened them for another kiss but he only got a teasing nip in return as that mouth kept working its way downward. Every single touch lingered before the next came and he was a squirming, panting mess by the time Shiro took him into his mouth. Strong hands held hips down, rubbing more soothing circles. They didn’t stop hands from finding their way into hair, tugging when a spike of pleasure hit and a heated moan followed. 

Keith wasn’t even aware of a finger until it pressed in, slick as it pushed through the ring of muscles. Gasping, he immediately tightened around it, toes curling in the soft mud under the swallow water. Shiro let go, licking a long strip up and lapping at the head. “Relax baby. Let me take care of you.” He reached out for the other, squeezing a hand when it intertwined with his. Tugging him back up, he tilted his chin up in a silent request and sighed when lips met his. Letting his body melt into the kiss, he didn’t tense as much when the finger worked its way deeper. It was exactly as he had expected. Shiro knew how to make his body sing, knew exactly how and where to touch to get Keith to open up to him. Any pain was quickly chased away, replaced with indescribable pleasure. 

He had tried to warn Shiro when it felt it started to build up too much he had only thrust inside a pliant body, three fingers already making Keith feel so full. He arched his back as the first orgasm overtook him, crashing over his body like a wave. Shiro gently fucked him through it, still a hand when Keith whimpered at the overstimulation. “Beautiful.” He winced when fingers left his body, trying to come down from the high and get his senses back. It wasn’t until he felt something much bigger pressing against him that he knew they weren’t done. “Think you can take another round?” Keith licked his lips and nodded, spreading legs to accommodate the larger frame between them. 

Once Shiro was fully seated inside of him Keith was certain he would never experience anything better in his life. He sought out a hand again, holding onto it like a lifeline as the other man started to move inside of him. Keith wished he could have said if he was a noisy lover or not. He was pretty sure he said more than a few embarrassing things, some of it incoherent babbling as Shiro fucked into him. The only thing he would be able to remember vividly as the adoration in brown eyes and the burning heat being pushed into his core with every thrust. The second orgasm hit him even harder than the first and he was almost sure he screamed Shiro’s name, squeezing his hand and feeling the other still and then flood his insides with burning fire.

When he could finally move, they were back in the water and he could feel calloused hands soothing over his back. “Are you okay?” Keith smiled against a shoulder and let Shiro lazily move them through the water.

“Better than I’ve never been.” Nuzzling a shoulder, he yawned. “This was a nice way to say goodbye before you have to leave.” 

“I don’t really want to go to this diplomatic meeting either. I would much rather spend it next to you.” He teased. “It’ll only be for a few days and then I’ll be back for the rest of the year. Completely yours. I’ll tell your other instructors that you’re excused for the day and don’t fight me on this Keith. You’ll thank me tomorrow. Honestly would have rather done this when I could be with you the whole day.”

Keith wanted to be sad about it himself but he couldn’t when he knew that Shiro was already mentally doing it to himself already. Instead, he rolled his eyes, a smile already on lips. “It’s fine. You can make it up to me when you get back.” That laugh never ceased to fill him with a warmth that he could easily get addicted to. It was the promise of Shiro’s quick return that cut down the sadness of having to wake up alone the next day with only a small mark on his shoulder to prove it had happened. 

If he had known that Shiro wasn’t going to be coming back, he would have never let him go. 

The sudden disappearance had shocked everyone but no one took it harder than Keith. It was only made worse that he couldn’t show just how much it hurt. No one knew they were together, knew what they had. Not that it stopped the whispers and rumors that seemed to be everywhere he went. Everyone knew they were close, obviously more so than most people were with the Instructor. Not to mention he was in the ‘special’ class which only fueled more. It wasn’t just himself who had to hear it, he and his classmates were all part of the special class that most people didn’t fully understand. 

He had to admit that the whole thing had brought them closer, the need to shield one another magnified as they were slowly ostracized by their peers. Keith got into more and more fights when his emotions ran high and he couldn’t handle the comments thrown around. Shiro would have never willing left him behind.

He wasn’t the only one, Lance got into more than a few himself. Usually, it was when defending the others but it only made Keith respect him more. 

With their Instructor gone, Coran had stepped in. He was Alfor’s right hand and apparently had helped put their group together. His quirkiness made them groan on more than one occasion but it was a welcome distraction. Shiro’s room was mostly left alone the Headmaster had let a Hunter in briefly. Keith had watched, the door cracked just enough to see across the hall. He had wanted to barge over there and tell the man to get the fuck out and not touch Shiro’s things but that would have been suicide He wasn’t sure if he could fool a Vericat twice. He had already taken several pieces of Shiro’s clothing, holding them close and breathing in the scent as he tried to sleep without the feeling of warmth he had come so accustomed too. 

At least having the top floor to himself meant he was free to sneak out at night to look for any clues. He didn’t know how he knew but he did, Shiro was out there somewhere and he was still alive. 

The prevalent rumor was that they had finally wanted Shiro to settle down and he had gotten cold feet. It wasn’t terribly uncommon in Avians, they said. Keith knew if they weren’t trying to force them into unions they didn’t want it wouldn't happen. It was the main line of work for a Hunter and Keith loathed them with every part of himself. 

Months passed and he could feel that the group was giving up on Shiro coming back. They were even starting to talk about him as if he was gone for good or worse dead. The Garrison didn’t want to give up on it’s prized Avian but as a year started to approach, they were beginning to accept their loss. He wasn’t sure if he was happy about that or not. It was getting tiring having to avoid Hunter after Hunter as they went over the academy for clues before disappearing. 

It wasn’t until the new term was just starting that Keith found the first real shred of hope. He had been walking to his next class when he had heard voices coming from the Headmaster’s office. Pressing himself against the wall, Keith knew this was a terrible idea. As if eavesdropping on the Headmaster wasn’t bad enough, he could feel the thrum of magic that signified a Hunter. He should have walked away but something in his gut told him he needed to hear this. 

“One of our own was able to infiltrate the Empire. He did not last long but his Vericat sent this back before he died.” 

Keith wished the door was open so he could see what was being shown. He heard what sounded like a crowd and the sounds of battle, his mind racing. 

_“You’re not going to beat me!”_

His entire body felt like it had been doused with ice at that voice. The one was still so vivid in his head.

Shiro. 

The sound of fighting continued but then there was yelling from someone else and it cut off. Pressing closer he needed to hear more. “There is very little doubt in my mind of who that is. Still, the Empire is exceptionally dangerous and we have no way to verify if he is in fact still alive. Knowing them as I do, I very much doubt it. The Arena is nasty business and none have survived it. We may need to consider this to be the sign to stop our search.” 

“I would rather not risk another of my own to them. They weeded him out with quick proficiency. Even if he did live, any attempt at rescue would not end well.” 

Keith heard the sound of a drawer opening and something being placed inside. “Agreed. We will have no choice but the make the announcement then. Here, payment for your service and some extra for your loss.” Taking that as his cue, Keith quickly pulled away and ran off down the hall. He barely made it to his seat before the chime. 

“Dude where were you?” Lance leaned over to whisper.

“Busy.” He could feel the look shot his way but ignored it. His mind was too full of the information he had just learned. He didn’t hear a word the teacher said, barely registering the sound of the chime that signaled it was over. 

“Seriously what’s wrong?” The Mer asked again, getting the attention of the others. 

“You were definitely zoning the entire time.” Pidge pointed out, earning a nod from the other two. 

Making sure the instructor had left, he leaned forward, prompting the others to do the same. “I think I found Shiro.” Keith had long since grown accustomed to that look of disbelief. They may have given up but he hadn’t. “Look I heard a Hunter talking to the Headmaster. He was showing him something. I couldn’t see it, only hear it but I know for a fact it was Shiro. You don’t have to believe me but I know that if you could see it, you would know it was him.” 

“Let’s assume you’re right,” Allura said carefully. “And it was, in fact, a Crystory-”

“A what?” Lance asked. 

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Did you not pay attention in class either? Vericats have a way to record memories and turn them into crystals. They can share them between other Vericats . It’s what makes the Hunters so efficient. Even if another Hunter dies, they can still get important Crystories from a Vericat before it perishes too.” 

“Pidge is correct. As I was saying if it was, in fact, a Crystory of some memory of Shiro then I suppose we might be able to determine how old it is. The shinier it is the more recent the memory after all. Still, it would be within my father’s office and getting caught would mean a very large punishment. 

“I’ll risk it then. If I get caught then I’ll say it was just me. It wouldn’t be difficult to believe. I just need someone to act as a distraction.” 

“You’ll need more than one person.” Hunk said. “Someone to distract him and at least one person to keep an eye out. 

Lance rubbed his chin. “Or several people. Allura would probably be the best person to distract him. He’s your dad after all.” 

Keith stood up. “So, will you help me out Allura?” She sighed but nodded. “Thanks. Alright so let’s come up with a plan.” 

As soon as they were ready the pair broke off. Lance and Hunk took point at either end of the hall. Allura walked up to her father’s door, knocking before being let in. They all waited, tense to see if she could get him out of the room. It felt like it took forever before it opened again the two left arm in arm but not before he locked the door behind him. Keith walked up to the door, testing it but already knowing the answer. “This is a bit of a problem.” 

“Step aside, I’ll take care of this.” Pidge held out her hand, growing a small thin root. It slipped easily into the lock and he watched with fascination before hearing a small click. “See, no problem.” 

“I’ll ask later, think you can do that again. He’s probably locked the drawer too.” 

She shrugged. “Well, I’m in this far. Might as well.” The pair stepped into the well-decorated room full of medals and trophies. “Wow, he really is impressive.” Hands slid over the desk, feeling over the etched in designs. “I would love to know who made this.”

“Later Pidge. Let’s get this over with so we don’t get caught.” 

Feeling over the desk, most of the drawers were actually unlocked but none of them looked like what they needed. When the top drawer didn’t give he gestured at it. She created another root, just as the soft whistle sounded. “That’s a lot sooner than I was expecting.”

“Then you better hurry. We’re not leaving without it.” Keith said, hearing the whistle getting more frantic when they didn’t come through the door. There was another click and it opened easily revealing a glowing crystal. “This has to be it now let’s go before-” The whistling had stopped, leaving only heavy footsteps head their way. “Shit, um ideas?” 

“Out the window.” 

“We’re on the top floor!” he hissed.

She was already opening it, encouraging the vines that grew along the side of the building to climb higher. “I know but it’s the only option we have.” Slipping outside, she grabbed onto them. “Come on!” she hissed, kicking him into action. She was halfway down by the time he swung a leg out. Getting the other over, he heard the sound of the door opening and he quickly pulled the window closed and started the trek downward He looked up and prayed that the Headmaster wouldn't look out the window and see him. Keith had never been happier to have his feet on the ground, running after Pidge. 

They didn’t stop until they got back to the dorm, bursting in and was surprised to find the others already there. Almost as much as he was surprised to have Hunk pull him into a crushing hug. “I can’t believe you guys are okay. When you didn’t come out we thought the worst but we didn’t hear anything so we ran back here. Don’t scare us like that! 

“Sorry big guy, we had to go out the window. Thanks to Pidge’s help.” 

As soon as Keith was put down Lance punched him in the arm. “That was reckless you jerk. Give a guy are heart attack why don’t you?”

Keith grinned and rubbed his arm. “Where you _actually worried_ about me?” 

“What me? Not a chance! So did you get it or not.” 

Keith held up the shining crystal as they all leaned in to see it. “That’s certainly a Crystory and a very recent one at that. I would bet a few days old at least.” Allura said, hand to her chin. “Well then let’s see if this was worth all this fuss.” Holding out her hand, Keith gave it to her watching with the same anticipation. Her hand glowed blue as she pulled the magic in and directed it into the crystal. It sparked to life, the sudden image scrambling briefly before she pushed more magic into it and it suddenly became clear. They all watched in awe as the sounds of rowdy cheering filled the air. Whoever the person was watching all this, they panned over, showing just how massive the crowd was. It flickered briefly upwards, showing someone on a throne and another side by their side. Whoever they were, they were too far away and eyes didn’t linger long. Instead, they were drawn to the center and the sounds of fighting. Weapons were clashing against one another, still clear over the crowd's cheers. A very large creature was swinging an impossibly large weapon around, trying to hit the much smaller target. 

It looked as if it might connect before the person rolled away and they all gasped when they got their first good look at the man. There was a prominent scar over his nose and part of his hair was white but there was no doubt who that was. 

_“You’re not going to beat me!”_

Those same words he had heard before, now that he could see Shiro, they stabbed him straight in the chest. The same yelling from before and the person’s attention was drawn to several mean-looking guards. They raised their weapon and that was the end. 

“You were right,” Lance said, disbelief heavy in his voice. “I can’t believe you were right. After all this time, do you think he’s been wherever that is?” 

Keith nodded. “I think so or at least, for the most part, he has been. Something must have happened, something that allowed them to get their hands on him. I heard the Hunter when he was talking to the Headmaster. He said something about The Arena and the Empire. Does that mean anything?” They all shook their heads except for Allura who was suddenly very quiet and very pale. “Allura?” 

“If the Empire has him then I am afraid all is lost.” 

“I refuse to believe that. Whoever they are, they’re not keeping Shiro. I won’t let them but if you know anything I need to know. Please, Allura!” 

She shook her head. “I know how close you and Shiro were but this is beyond you. The Empire used to be our allies. We even had one of our own marry their leader, of her own desire mind you. She fell in love with him and he with her but she became obsessed with some very dark magic that no one should ever mess with. It affected her mind and soon started to spread to everyone, even her husband. My father and several of the others put an end to it but it came at a very high cost.

“There was not much information provided on the war, the same one that Shiro fought in and even my own father won’t talk of it but heard him speak of terrible things. They were very lucky to have one and many attribute that to Shiro. Avians are supposed to have very strong magic and perhaps whatever he possesses is what saved them. I only know that our side was about to lose and was somehow saved. They retreated to their own land, one that is exceptionally dangerous and tainted. There is no way you will survive.” She said firmly. 

“I don’t care. If Shiro is there then I’m going to get him back. No matter what it takes, I refuse to give up on him as everyone else has. I’m not asking any of you to come with me. I fully expect to do this one my own.” Keith said, heading for the stairs. 

“So what you think you can just waltz in there and demand they give Shiro back? You just heard what Allura said Keith. It’s dangerous.” Lance said, standing up. “Or are you thinking you can do it just because your an Avian.” Keith froze at the words,foot resting on the first step he couldn’t quite seemed to make anymore. 

“We all know, Keith,” Pidge said softly.

“Just as much as we know just how important Shiro is to you.” Hunk interjected. 

“Seeing the way it has been eating at you this past year has been very difficult Keith. We’ve all been mourning but you especially and yet you have never given up. Not once and now that devotion is paying off.” 

Keith stepped back down, looking at them with disbelief as he tried to process everything that was happening

“Except he’s now in the middle of the most dangerous place ever.” 

“LANCE!” 

The Mer winced and stood up. “Jeez calm down. The point is that Shiro has done more for us than anyone else. He’s treated us as equals...like family and you know what? That’s what we are. So if you think any of us care about what you then you’ve got another thing coming.” He said, poking Keith in the chest. Which is why I think I speak for all of us when I say that you are not doing this alone.” 

.“You....I...what?” 

Lance grinned. “We are going to go save Shiro.”


	5. This is just the beginning

To say the journey was difficult was an understatement. 

They all knew they were inexperienced and were mostly running on hope but there was no way they could abandon the one person that had brought them all together. They had talked at length on what to do. The journey would take them a long time and their presence would not go unnoticed for long. They were essentially having to leave everything behind, something Keith was used to but the rest of them had ties here. No matter what he said, they all reassured him that they were prepared to do this. He wasn’t the only one that was taking their own destiny in hand. There was no getting any sleep even though they would need it and they were all waiting for the school day to end so they could get what they needed together and leave as soon as the sun set. 

Bag in hand, he was still half expecting to be the only one going but when he came downstairs and saw all of them already waiting, he knew that wasn’t going to be the case. He wasn’t alone anymore. 

Having traveling companions might have been the only reason any of them made it. The initial journey was long even after Allura conjured up mounts for them save for Hunk who just changed. They passed through towns and forests, even a mountain that had dumped freezing powder on them Snow as Pidge called it though none of them had ever seen it before. It was the one time that Keith was grateful he had his long jacket. By the time they had found the seaside town, they knew their journey was halfway done. 

“I have never smelled anything better in my whole life!” Lance exclaimed, inhaling deeply. “Absolutely nothing beats the ocean. At least if you’re a sea Mer like I am. I guess if you were a River Mer it would be different.” 

“Right. Anyone else hungry I am famished I am smelling something amazing over that way.” Hunk said pointing towards a tavern. 

“Some good food and not having to sleep outside would be amazing right about now. No offense meant, Pidge.” Allura said sheepishly. 

The occasional odd job along the way did provide good income along with what each of them had brought with them. Allura had he most which no one was surprised about and as tempting as it was to deny a job they knew their funds would run out. Even so, they weren’t helpless when it came to surviving in the wild. Shiro had made sure they knew how to do so and while it had taken a while for them to work together at the time, it didn’t now. The terrain they were in depending on who had what job. Lance was best at catching fish while Pidge new which items in the forest were edible. Keith didn’t each anything that wasn’t meat but he knew how to hunt. Allura wasn’t a bad shot with her magic and could easily make a campfire like no one else. It helped that she could still create fire even when they couldn’t have an actual campfire. 

Now they had another chance at a real bed before they would have to cross the ocean. Lance was the most excited and Keith didn’t blame him. Hunk and Pidge were understandably the least happy about it.

Entering the tavern, they didn’t waste any time getting food and securing rooms for the night. There was still plenty of daylight left and they formulated a new plan over food on what to do before they all met up for the night. Hunk had found the market, haggling with the local merchants for supplies. By the time the sun started setting, he was walking away with a good haul, pleased with himself and thinking about the delicious food waiting for them. Walking past a notice board, he paused to see if there were any jobs they could do before leaving. A little extra coin never hurt. There were a few interesting leads that he filed away for later. 

Looking down, he scanned the rest of it, eyes fall over the scrolls with MISSING written at the top of several side by side. “That’s unfortunate. Those poor people.” About to move on, he paused as he thought it over. Taking a few steps back, he looked over the scrolls again before panic set in. “Oh no.” 

Lance speared another bite of his food, savoring the taste of having something from the ocean. The rest of them looked equally as happy though there was one person missing. “I hope Hunk shows up soon. Not like him to be late for a meal.” 

“I’m sure he’ll show up soon. You know how to likes to browse the markets. Probably lost track of time but I bet he comes back with a lot of stuff.” Pidge offered. When the door open she pointed. “See there he is.” 

Turning around, he saw the larger man looking around frantically, clutching what looked like paper to his chest. “Yo Hunk, over here!” The Mer had never seen him move so quickly, reaching at their table at record time.

“Keep your voice down, Lance. Guys, we’re in trouble.” He set the papers down, spreading them out. “I found these on the notice board in the square. They are all over the place. What are we going to do?” 

They each picked up a paper, their own faces staring back at them. Keith was the first to find his voice. “We knew this was a possibility. It was only a matter of time before someone would want to find us. After what happened to Shiro they’re probably on edge and you guys have families that we could risk alerting. We got this far, all we have to do is get across the ocean and we’ll be home free. The beginning of Galran territory is over there, they’re not going to risk any of their people to get us. Allura’s already secured the boat, we’ll just leave much sooner than expected.” 

“That sounds like a good plan. Yeah, we can do that.” Hunk said, sitting down. “We’ll be gone before they even know we were here.” The door opened just then which wouldn’t have been so odd if the chattering of the tavern hadn’t lowered before stopping altogether. The group looked in time to see two Hunters walk in. “M-maybe they don’t know we’re here.”Two pairs of eyes immediately fell on the group, the Vericats hissing ominously. 

Keith jumped up. “I think they know. We have to get to that boat. Everyone run!” 

No one had to be told twice, immediately scattering with Hunk transforming. The sudden appearance of an enormous bear had the tavern erupted into chaos as no one knew what to do but Keith knew he felt more than one set of hands try to grab him. Hitting someone with a chair, he pushed another as he helped make a path for his friends. Allura pushed a large oak table over, blocking anyone from coming behind them. The hunters were still in front of the door, blocking their way. He unsheathed his blade, prepared to try and take them on until a large body collided with them. “Thanks, Hunk. Let’s go, guys! 

Setting outside, they ignored the curious onlookers who had been drawn by the noises inside. Most of the scattered when the bear barreled outside with a loud roar and headed off towards the harbor with an elf and Mer right behind him. Keith wasn’t far behind, stopping with he heard a sharp cry behind him. One of the Hunters had grabbed Pidge and no amount of thrashing was helping. The glowing eyes of the Vericat kept the natural magic at bay, making her useless. Gritting his teeth, turned back. 

“Keith!” 

“That boat is our only hope. Get it ready to go. I’ll be back in time with Pidge. Go!” Without looking back he ran towards the Hunters. “Hey!” Getting their attention, he slipped the jacket off and spread his wings before getting into a fighting stance.” I think I make the better target don’t you?” He heard the whispers around him, could see the pointing from those that had stuck around though at a distance. The Hunters shared a look before one of them advanced forward. “I knew an Avian would be too good to pass up. I’m going to take you down and then your friend is next.” 

Rushing forward, he gathered all that he had learned, bracing himself for the hard shield he knew the Vericat would bring up to protect its master. The impact made his arm sting more than expected but he gritted his teeth hand went for another attack before the creature would have a chance to put up another one. The Hunter obviously wasn’t used to someone rebounding so quicky but Keith still only managed to tear the cloth. Pushing forward, the animal was faster than expected and he was thrown back by the impact of the barrier this time. 

The Hunter didn’t wait this time, bringing the fight to him and Keith winced under the strength of the attack. Kicking at legs, they connected and he went for another swipe, blade coming back stained. A hand came up to the wound and though a face was impassive, Keith sensed some surprise. Trying to make use of that, the hand shot out and grabbed him by the throat. Squeezing, his air was immediately cut off and his world momentarily turned black when a fist connected with his stomach. He heard his blade hit the ground, hands hanging useless. The burning in his chest spread into his arm, feeling as if a fire were trying to consume him. 

Vision blurring he saw the glowing of the Vericat as it crept closer, hissing ominously. As the darkness set in once more, somewhere in the background, he heard Pidge scream. 

Eyes snapped open and a hand snapped upwards, claws catching the Vericat. It screeched is disappeared into black smoke. The Hunter would have followed if he hadn’t let go and backed up. Keith was there in an instant and the Hunter stumbled again before falling. Yellow eyes snapped to the other one, glowing purple spiraling around his right arm and into sharp claws. He growled, loud and deep, watching as Pidge was set down in favor of more interesting prey. 

The pair surged forward at the same time. 

“We’re almost ready to go and those two are nowhere to be seen. Do you think the Hunter got them?” Hunk asked, looking towards the square. It was too far away to see anything, leaving him anxious. Lance jumped up. 

“No idea but we’re not leaving them,” he said, hopping out of the boat and running back towards where they came from. He passed people fleeing the other direction, pressing on and finally breaking free to the square. 

There in the center was Keith, breathing hard with not one but two dead Hunter’s at his feet. Pidge was shaking but otherwise unharmed. The Mer slowly approaced the Avian, feeling that something was off. The fact he took down two Hunters on his own was crazy enough but those claws and that glowing purple mark that was visible through clothing had him hesitating. “Keith?” He hadn’t even seen the man move but sudden a claw as at his throat and very yellow eyes were way to close for comfort. He put his hands up. “Easy there, buddy. It’s mean, Lance. We’re friends remember? It’s okay, the bad guys are taken care of.” He said softly. “Pidge is fine, you saved her. Now let’s get out of here. What do you say?” 

Eyes scanned his face, and Lance held his breath and hoped his friend was still in there. Keith blinked and then eyes were back to their normal purple and claws were no longer too close for comfort. He seemed disoriented, stumbling when he took a step back. He would have met the unforgiving cobblestone if Lance hadn’t grabbed him first. “I gotcha. We’re safe thanks to you.” 

“Thanks to me?” He slurred, eyes blinking heavily. “What happened?” 

Lance felt another weight against him, grunting under the impact. “You saved me, Keith,” Pidge said, sniffling. “Thank you.” 

“Let’s pat ourselves on the back once we’re far from land.” Lance put Keith’s arm around his shoulder. “Don’t turn into dead weight yet. Sleep on the boat,” he grumbled. 

Keith tried to do as requested but his eyes felt so heavy. Everything sounded so far away and sleep sounded so good. As much as he wanted to resist the call, he could feel it come to claim him and he gave in.

When he woke up, his world was slowly moving back to forth. Groaning, he floundered in his attempt to get up. Someone helped him get up and to the side before he lost whatever he had eaten previously. Those same hands rubbed his back soothingly. “That’s it, let it all out, man. I know exactly how you feel.” Somewhere in the haze and splitting headache, he recognized Hunk’s voice. 

“W-what happened?” He asked, wincing at the hoarseness of his own voice. He was startled when a tan hand came into view holding a water skin. Taking it, he downed half of it in one go.

“Honestly,” Allura said. “We were hoping you would be able to tell us. Lance and Pidge were able to fill us in on a little bit but none of it made sense.” Keith tried to remember through the splitting headache. He remembered Pidge screaming, his vision going out from the hand around his neck and then the burning. A hand went to his arm. “That has something to do with your magic, as an Avian, doesn’t it?” 

He nodded, regretting the action as it brought on a new wave of dizziness. Pressing his head against the damp wood, it helped. “Yeah, Shiro mentioned it when he saw my mark.” 

“Well, we can come back to it later. Avian magic can often be power but unpredictable. It did save us from the Hunters and it would be naive to think we won’t need it.”

Keith took another smaller swig water this time. “How long was I out?” 

“A couple of days at least. Pidge and Allura took turns healing you.” Lance said, leaning against the side. A couple of days was a long time and after losing his last meal, his stomach grumbled painfully Offering him a piece of salted meat, the Mer sat down heavily, leaning against the side. It was the first time Keith had noticed how lackluster Lance’s scales were. 

“Shouldn’t you be in the water?” He croaked out, earning a wry smile. 

“Would if I could but the waters here are tainted.” Looking down, he watched the black waves lap at the side of the boat. Purple eyes followed when a finger pointed. In the distance, he could see the black land growing closer. Twisted, jagged rocks seemed to make up the majority of the landscape. The sky was slowly growing darker as well, the sun suddenly hidden behind equally mean-looking clouds. “Welcome to Galra territory. Looks like we made it.” 

The closer they got the choppier the water became which did nothing for an already upset stomach but Lance had given him some kind of seaweed which Keith didn’t want but he promised it would help the nausea. It had tasted awful but did, in fact, cure nausea and with a little more rest and food, he was feeling much better by the time the boat touched land. Even Lance looked a little better after some help from Allura but once they all stepped on dry land, Keith was sure they could all feel it. How utterly wrong this place felt and how much it made each one of them want to get right back in the boat and return to where they came from. 

Swallowing it down, Keith was the first to take a step forward. Shiro was here somewhere and he wasn’t about to let dark magic get the best of him. 

The feeling only grew further they went in and it felt like the land itself tried to stop them. Hunk seemed to be the least affected out of all of them and they were grateful for that. He had become their pillar of strength and often times the voice of reason when tempers grew short andd emotions ran too high. They found towns though the buildings look so unlike anything they had back home and were wisely avoided but their supplies were dwindling and they didn't trust anything they found growing. The animals here were equally strange and extremely aggresive. They had to risk it, leaving the berries and vegetables they had brought with them for Allura and Pidge. 

At that moment Lance, Keith, and Allura sat within the trees, not willing to risk a fire. Pidge and Hunk had risked a visit to a nearby village to try and get information on where this Arena might be. When they come back smiling, Lance perked up. “Please tell me you have good news.” 

“We do!” Hunk said excitedly. “There were a lot of people talking about the arena, it’s in some city called Daibazaal. Some of them said they were even going tonight which means it has to be super close if they can make it that soon.”

“And,” Pidge added. “After we found out about that I scaled the tallest tree I could and there actually is a big city just on the other side of this valley were in. I would bet anything that’s where we need to go. Except,” 

Lance frowned. “Except what?” 

“It looks pretty well fortified. There’s a big wall around the whole place and city looked massive even from out here. The giant building in the center is no doubt our destination but it won’t be easy.”

“Well, we never expected it to be,” Keith said standing up. 

“Yeah but this isn’t like the last time. This is an entire city full of people that would like nothing more than to see us dead. No matter how you look at it, we stand out and even if we could sneak in how are we supposed to find Shiro, break him out of a heavily fortified building _and_ city, and then make it back to our boat with the entire place absolutely on our asses?” 

Keith chewed on his lip. “No idea but we’ll have to think of something. Let’s get a good look at this city first and we’ll go from there. Come on, we didn’t get this far only to stop now. He has to be in there. We are so close.” 

Sighing heavily, Allura pulled herself up. “Well, I think we can all agree with Keith that we can’t give up now. I will warn you now. Daibazaal is said to be the heart of the Empire.”

“That definitely makes things scarierto be such and as much as I want to not agree I have to,” Lance admitted.”Shiro’s been my hero since forever and he’s never given up on me. I couldn’t live with myself if I gave up on him now. Heart of the Empire or not, I’m going too” 

Pidge shrugged. “Well, you already know my answer. How about it Hunk.?” 

“How about it Hunk she says so casually. Are you guys insane? We always mentioned how this was a suicide mission but now, now it actually is. Was I the only one listening? Massive city? Heart of the Empire? If we go in there we are absolutely not coming out. We do not have the skills or experience to do it.” 

Lance crossed his arms. “Are you in or not?” 

“Of course I am I just want you all to be aware of how stupid this is.”

“We know,” Lance said, patting Hunk’s shoulder. “Believe me we are all painfully aware. Let’s get going before it actually settles in though.” 

If they weren’t thinking about it before, standing on a small hill over looking the city they certainly were now. “When you said the city was big, I wasn’t expecting it to be this big.” Lance stated. 

“What part of ‘city looked massive’ did you not understand?” Pidge asked. 

He shrugged. “Was it too much to hope that you were just mistaken?”

Now that they were here it really did look impossible and even Keith was having doubts. Peering through the binoculars, he could see several guards at the gate. Panning up he could places where he would have expected guards to be but they were oddly gone. “That’s weird.”

“What is?” the Dryad asked. 

“I feel like for a place that’s the Heart of the Empire or whatever, to have more guards.” He looked around more, finding similiar situations. “There only appears to be guards at the gate and probably right on the other side but not the walls. Doesn’t that seem weird?” 

“Maybe you’re just wrong, give me those,” Lance said snatching them from Keith. “Huh, back home the royal palace is always crawling with guards everywhere. Maybe they don’t worry about that kind of stuff here.”

“Or maybe the fire has something to do with it,” Pidge suggested. 

“Fire what are you-” She titled his head. “Oh. Now, I’m not an expert but I don’t think that’s suppose to be happening. If anything it looks like some kind of explosion. I can’t tell for sure, there are buildings in the way but,” He lowered the binoculars as the unmistakable sound of alarms going on filled the night. “Considering you can see the smoke from here and those alarms I’d say whatever it was, it was big. 

“This could be our chance. A lot of the guards are probably dealing with whatever that is.” Allura offered. The group yelped in surprise when the ground suddenly shook and several more explosions went off, alarms blaring throughout the city. “What in the heavens is happening? Who could possibly be attacking them.”

Keith eyed the explosions. “No one’s attacking them Those explosions are distractions to get the guards going the opposite way so an escape can be made.” 

“Escape? Who’s escaping?” Pidge asked as Keith pulled out his dagger. 

“No idea but we’re about to find out.” The next explosion took out the wall right next to the unsuspecting guards. The ones not hit by the attack were already starting to recover, trying to see through the billowing smoke. “Let’s go! Whoever that is will need our help and we could use all the allies we can get right now.” Keith shouted, already spreading wings and jumping. 

“Keith wait!” Lance groaned. “You heard the man, suicide squad go!” 

Trying to get a good vantage point, purple eyes scanned the ground One of the guards reached the smoke, lifting their weapon but felt before they could even completely raised their arms. A figure rushed out of the smoke, taking out another guard before moving to the next. Keith had never seen someone move so fluidly with a blade before but this was no novice. Even with so many opponents, he held his own with deadly grace. 

Keith saw the arrow being drawn but the warrior didn’t seem to see it. Tucking his wings in he barreled down and slammed into the guard, sending him flying. The noise drew the warrior’s attention and he was surprised to see it was a Galran who was equally shocked to see him. 

“How-?” The tall man shook his head. “No, I understand now so it begins.”

“What begins? Who are you?” Keith demanded. 

The man shook his head. “There’s no time. He needs your help.” A long-clawed hand pointed towards the smoke and Keith turned just in time to see someone else emerge and fall to their knees, coughing. 

“What about you?” he asked, turning as another guard was cut down.

“I can handle this myself,” he responded, blocking an attack as a second came at him. Keith moved forward to help but the guard was suddenly knocked back by magic. It distracted the first long enough for him to fall as well. His friends had finally joined the frey, the large bear knocking several people over as Pidge bound them with vines. Lance fended off an arrow, using some of Allura’s water to knock the archer from their perch. “We can handle this. Hurry, they must not get him.” The man warned.

Nodding he took to the sky, heading towards where he had seen the figure last. Whoever it was hadn’t been content with just sitting around. They were running towards the trees, hoping to lose the guards chasing just behind. Keith threw his blade as he had seen the warrior do, watching as the closest guard fell. Landing he grabbed the blade before his feet touched the ground. Whirling around, he let instincts guide him and help his blade find the next target, slicing into flesh. As soon as the last guard fell, he turned back towards the figured hunched over in another coughing fit. 

“Hey it’s okay, the guards are all taken care of. Are you okay?” Gently he touched shoulders, backing off when the person turned wildly. Violet met brown and he felt his legs get weak.

“K-Keith? Is this a dream? It has to be.” The man muttered.

“Shi...ro?” he had thought about this moment for what felt like forever. He had thought it was out of his reach when he saw the city but here, somehow was the one person he had wanted to see more than anything. He had seen the Crystory and yet it still felt surreal to see the man he loved looking so familiar and yet so different. “It’s me. Takashi it’s really me.” Noticing how unsteady on feet he was, Keith sheathed a blade and caught him before he could fall again. 

“You..really came.” He sounded so surprised that Keith wanted to cry but now wasn’t the time. He pulled an arm around his shoulder, noting how hard and strange it felt but brushing it aside. 

“Of course I did. No matter what, I will always be with you until the end and beyond. I love you.” 

“Hey Keith, more guards are coming, we need to leave now!” Lance yelled, running towards them. “Who did you find this time-Shiro?” Standing in surprise, the Mer snapped his mouth shut and rushed over to take the other arm. “This is real right?”

“It is but we’re not out of it yet. Where are the others?” 

“Already back up the hill. We froze the hole and Pidge tied the door up pretty tight but both will only hold so long. That other guy is gone”

Both of them moved as quickly as possible, catching up to the others just as the gates burst open. “You guys made it. Wait is that Shiro?” Pidge asked. 

“It’s definitely not our friend from before. I don’t know about you but I do not want to get caught so move your butts. We can talk about our good luck later!” Lance yelled as they passed.

“Good point. Into the forest, I have an idea.” 

Following Pidge, the sound of footsteps wasn’t far behind and he saw the same look of concern on Lance’s face. Shiro was heavy and not making this easy but neither of them refused to let go. The Dryad pointed towards a path almost hidden by the wildlife as soon as they all passed through she hide the way completely. It was just in time, the sound of numerous footsteps rushing passed. When the last of them grew further they finally allowed themselves to breath. 

“Let’s find a place that Shiro can rest,” Keith said, looking at the other man with worry. He was barely staying awake and their arms were getting tired. Luck seemed to continue to be on their side when they found a cave. Hunk went in first though Allura followed after just in case but the both of them came with smiles.

As soon as they laid Shiro down, he fell asleep they knew there wasn’t anything else they could do but wait. Allura and Pidge made sure to heal the wounds they could but there was nothing they could do about the scar on his face nor the artificial arm they had reluctantly had to report to Keith. Whatever he had been through, it hadn’t been easy. Keith stayed by his side, keeping an eye on him and soothing him he could see a nightmare taking hold. He must have dozed sitting up, pulled out of it when he felt something brush against his leg. 

Shiro groaned softly and opened his eyes. He looked around until they settled on Keith. “It really wasn’t a dream.” Holding the prosthetic up, he frowned. “Any of it.” 

“Whatever happened is over now. You’re safe. Just rest. We can talk more when you’ve got your strength back. Everyone will be happy to see you awake.”

“Everyone?” 

Keith smiled. “The whole team came to save you, Shiro. It wasn’t just me. I never would have made it without them.” Looking back, Shiro craned his neck to see the others sitting around, eating and smiling. 

“I can’t believe you came all this way for me.” 

“I will come after you as many times as it takes. Now rest.” Keith brushed hair away from a face and stroked a cheek until breathing became even once more. After the third day, he was sitting with the others, picking up his portion of the meal when the others stopped to look behind him. Turning, he moved to get up as Shiro walked towards them, dressed in the clothing Keith had thought to bring. He held a hand up and Keith sat back down before offering him food which he took gratefully. They ate in silence, not sure what they should say if anything. 

Shiro cleared his throat. “I just wanted to say thank you. You can’t imagine how much it means to know that all of you would risk your lives for me. It was also incredibly stupid and reckless and I can’t begin to express how terrible of an idea this was but if you hadn’t been willing to take that risk. I probably wouldn’t be here right now.” 

Keith put a hand on a shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re back, we all are.”

“You mean more to use than you think Shiro. We are not a family without you.” Allura said happily. 

“I wish we could thank the guy that obviously helped you but he disappeared. We certainly could use his help to get out of here.” Pidge said, chewing on the spoon. 

“I certainly owe Ulaz a great debt but unfortunately I don’t know much about him. We’ll most certainly cross paths again.” 

Keith frowned. “Doubt it, unless he shows up before we leave.” 

“We can’t leave, Keith.” 

They all stared at Shiro as if he had grown a second head. “What do you mean we can’t leave? We have probably the entire place currently after us.” Hunk exclaimed. “Leaving is the only option.”

“Hunk’s right Shiro.” Keith cut in. “What reason could we possibly have for staying?” 

“Because if we don’t then everything may very well be doomed. My time outside the Arena is fuzzy. I remember a lot of pain, experiments, darkness.” He shook his head, rubbing the prosthetic. “But I learned plenty as a gladiator. Our entire world is in great danger.” 

Lance crossed his arms, tapping his arm. “Which sounds terrible but what are we supposed to do about it why does that involve staying here? We got pretty lucky just saving you. I doubt that’s going to be enough to save the entire world.” 

“Because the answer is here. Voltron is here and we need to find it before Zarkon does.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun. Dun. DUN
> 
> That's all for this part of the saga. Hopefully, this counts as a happy end.


End file.
